


departure

by orphan_account



Series: the honest truth [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Drabble, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24235018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Law leaves his crew in Zou. They're not happy about it.
Series: the honest truth [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752061
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	departure

**Author's Note:**

> crossposted from **[tumblr](https://quillifer.tumblr.com/post/618350110947115008)**. enjoy! ♡

Law’s not a particularly good liar.

Bepo’s wanted to go to Zou for most of his life, so agreeing to drop anchor near one of the moving island’s feet isn’t the problem. What their captain says once they stop _is_.

“You’re leaving?” Shachi asks.

Penguin adds, “To join the _Shichibukai_?”

Law peels off his jacket, changing into his favorite shirt. “Yes.”

Jean, Ikkaku, and a handful of other officers glance at the four-way stare-off happening in the med bay.

Law doesn’t talk about his past much, but his three oldest companions do know three things. That he’s a cheeky bastard most of the time, that he’s exceptionally driven, and that he hates the government. Why else would he have their symbols tattooed all over his body enclosed in sawblades and framed by the word death in capital letters?

Shachi runs a hand down his face. “Okay, great. No idea how you’re gonna pull that off, but fine. Guess it’ll be cool to have amnesty or whatever, but there’s no way that’s really what you want, man. What’s the catch?”

Law stares off into the middle distance, refusing to maintain eye contact. “You’re not coming with me.”

Bepo frowns. “What do you mean by that?” It’s thanks to Law and the Heart Pirates that he’s made it this far. They’re his family. They aren’t the type to pull apart after all these years.

“It means,” Law says, barely disguising the dismay on his voice with a gravelly tone, “that I’ll be too busy doing their bidding to take you along.”

Penguin slams his hands down on a table. “I don’t believe you.”

Law grips his sword’s scabbard tightly. “Whether you believe me or not, I’m leaving in the morning.”

Bepo grabs Law’s elbow before their captain can angrily storm off. “You’re not leaving for good,” the bear murmurs, “are you?”

Law locks up, unable to handle Bepo’s tears, as always. “No, buddy,” he assures him, patting his navigator’s arm gingerly. “I’ll return. It just might take a while.”

The newer crew members sigh in relief at his hollow words, but Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo know better. When Law sets sail in the morning on one of their spare ships, he doesn’t bring a transponder snail with him, and Penguin basically has to force his friend to tuck one of their vivre cards into the brim of his hat.

Later, when the three of them share drinks over a quiet dinner, Shachi raises a question that none of them truly want to ask. “D’you really think he won’t come back?”

Penguin scowls. “If he doesn’t, I’ll track him down and kick his ass myself. Pisses me off that he’s carrying out some stupid secret mission by himself. It’s like he doesn’t trust us or something.”

Bepo smiles sadly. “More like he trusts us too much, and he thinks he’s doing something that could get all of us killed.”

The older men grimace at that notion, knocking back great swigs of booze to drown out the very thought. “If he comes back,” Shachi says, “we’ll annoy him until he tells us everything.”

Penguin smirks. “That’s perfect. He’ll hate it.”

Bepo smiles as he stares out at the ocean, idly leaning down to let Shachi and Penguin scratch his ears.

If he had known that coming to Zou without Law would feel so empty, he might’ve postponed the visit for a little while longer.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! ♡♡♡
> 
> ✧tumblr: **[@quillifer](https://quillifer.tumblr.com/)**  
>  ✧twitter: **[@quillifer](https://twitter.com/quillifer)**


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